Unexpected Detour! Bramblin in the Wind! [F]

[Venominon]

As he strode through the mean streets of Goldenrod City, which had grown rather cold and foggy during his time underground, Venom hoped he had done the right thing. After he and his Pokemon rescued a runaway little girl from a wild Gastly, the ninja took her to the local police station, where she'd hopefully be able to gain a new and better life. It wasn't like Venom to care about the life of a human this much, but he had a hard time getting that little girl out of his mind. Having grown up in the Fuchsia City Safari Zone, Venom knew what it was like to be all alone in a harsh environment. Although, in all honesty, the wild Pokemon he grew up with were probably kinder than the little girl's abusive and neglectful parents. Still, Venom was able to find a nice, new family, and have a good childhood.

He just hoped that young girl would be shown the same kindness and love that Koga showed him when he needed it most. But for the moment, the Poison type trainer and his Pokemon still had plenty of training left to do, as he began to make his way back towards a set of stairs that lead to the Underground Tunnel. The fog made it a little tricky, but Venom had been in Goldenrod City long enough by now to find his way around fairly well. After a good ten minutes of walking and trying to clear his head, Venom finally located a staircase leading down into the bowels of the grand metropolis. Said staircase was located very close to the path that led to route 34, just outside the big city. And even with a thick layer of fog covering the entire city from top to bottom, the sun could still be seen shining down from above, offering some semblance of light.

However, just as Venom was about to descend the stairs, he caught a quick glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye, tumbling around route 34. At first, the purple-haired trainer thought he was seeing things, but nothing got past his highly trained snake eyes. Even in thick fog such as this. The lone, tumbling creature quickly disappeared into the fog and tall grass of the route, but Venom was quick to give chase. "I have no idea what that Pokemon is doing here or how it even got here to begin with, but I'd be foolish to let such a rare opportunity pass me by!" Venom said to himself, quickly changing his priorities as he picked up the pace, determined not to let the Pokemon he witnessed get away. What he saw turned out to be a brand new Pokemon from the far off Paldea region. The Tumbleweed Pokemon, Bramblin.

And even though it wasn't a Poison type, Venom still wanted to find one, and learn as much as he could about these newly discovered Pokemon. Besides, this was a good opportunity for some multi-tasking. He could study a new Pokemon species and train up his own Pokemon at the same time, even if the Pokemon on route 34 weren't as strong as the Pokemon found in the Underground Tunnel. It was almost as if he had forgotten all around the runaway little girl he left at the police station. Almost. But hopefully this little side quest would help ease his conscious a bit. And if Bramblin turned out to be valuable in any way, then perhaps he could also capture one or two of the Grass/Ghost types to trade or sell to some other trainers. Although he didn't really like the idea of treating Pokemon like items at an auction, the Paldea Festival had left both him and his friend Shinya rather drained in terms of funds.

OOC: Before the first encounter, I'd like to make use of the SM EXP Candy in Venom's inventory, giving it to Grimer for 800 EXP points, which is more than enough to level her up to level 28. I'd also like to use one of Venom's TM128 Ice Punch's, teaching the move to Croagunk and having him forget Flatter in its place. Thanks so much.

[Tiki]

Following the rumors of a strange Pokemon rolling around the outskirts of Goldenrod City, Venom ventured back outside of the city to chance himself an opportunity to see, and to capture, such a strange creature. Stepping outside of the bustling city, a blanketing fog veiled the wilderness as the cold temperature was slowly rolling in from the change in season. The air was hazy to see anything farther than a good several steps away. It was a day time, but a dreary hazy one.

A lone Zangoose was running in the foggy wilderness, looking for an enemy or two to help sharpen its claws and skills. It was fighting its arch-nemesis earlier, when one of those strange new Pokemon appeared and got in their way of totally serious fighting. Now, this human was in its way to find a Seviper or Bramblin! It growled angrily as it darted toward Venom, "Move, move, move, move!!"

---

A (Level 20) Zangoose appeared!

Fog is in effect

XsriC24M1-42

rare 1-6 1-2
Uncommon 1-3 1-4
Common 1-2

Level 14-201-42·1-6·1-2·1-3·1-4·1-2·14-20

[Venominon]

With over ten years of ninja training under his belt, the cold didn't bother Venom in the slightest, but even his highly trained snake eyes strained to see much of anything through the fog. Fortunately, Venom had his other senses to rely on. And not even five minutes into his Bramblin hunt, his ears picked up on the sounds of something much larger than any tumbleweed headed his way. Straight away, the ninja turned in the direction of the approaching lifeform, narrowed his eyes, and raised his guard, waiting for whatever it was to appear through the dense fog. When it finally did, Venom was shocked, but not by the presence of the Cat Ferret Pokemon. Rather, his shock came from one of his own Pokemon, who suddenly burst from their Pokeball without even being called upon by their trainer.

"What's this?!" The Poison type trainer questioned, quickly turning to his right side, as one of his poisonous Pokemon materialized there. The poisonous Pokemon in question turned out to be Seviper, and she definitely didn't look happy. Even through her Great Ball, she sensed the presence of her natural and hated enemy, Zangoose, and just couldn't stand by and let this encounter pass her by. Even if it did go against her trainer's wishes. "You're telling us to move?! How dare you, you filthy, no good, savage! I refuse to allow you to bring any further harm to my kind in this area! Especially when I'm sure they're trying to hibernate peacefully through this dreadfully cold weather!" She may have been cold-blooded, but there was a fire burning inside Seviper's body and in her eyes, as she glared daggers at the approaching Normal type Pokemon.

In this situation, how could Venom even think about intervening? One look at Seviper's eyes told him that she was serious. More serious than he had ever seen her before. Besides, if Venom was being honest, he was definitely on the side of all Seviper kind in the age-old feud. So, after quickly shaking off the shock and putting his own game face on, the purple-haired trainer stood tall beside his beloved Fang Snake Pokemon, giving her the order that she had been hoping to hear. "Alright, Seviper! Let's win one for Sevipers and Poison type Pokemon everywhere! Hit this Zangoose hard with your Sludge Wave!" Immediately after that, Seviper generated vast amounts of toxic sludge all around her, then let it all go in one big wave, which headed straight for Zangoose. "Thank you, master! This Zangoose's days of tormenting Sevipers are through!"

OOC: Thanks for the update, Tiki, but Venom's Koffing is still holding the Cleanse Tag. So, this Zangoose should be level 20. Please fix. Thanks again.

[Pixel]

The racing Zangoose paused when it smelled seviper. Was its foe nearby? Had the bramblin not gotten between it and its meal? The mongoose lifted up to its hindlegs and peered through the fog as a light flashed and a snake appeared, hissing with fury that had the Zangoose's fur standing on end. It hissed with menace as venomous as the seviper's bite.

<YOU!> it snarled. Many generations of feuding meant that zangoose could not be poisoned by their prey's venom, but that didn't mean they liked being bit. It was best to strike hard and fast before those nasty snakes could sink their fangs in! Claws gleamed like knives in the fog and the zangoose lunged, slicing a long gash into the side of the seviper with a snarl. As it round to slash again, it was slammed into with a massive wave of sludge that left it sputtering. FOUL! It shook itself and stood again, undeterred. <I will not be defeated by the likes of you, seviper!>


Wild Encounter

---

Weather: FOG

[attr="class","qkt-bkgd"]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-pkmn"]
Wild Zangoose LV 20
HP 6% [4/65]

[attr="class","qkt-wild-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-pkmn"]
Seviper LV 26
HP 84% [69/82]

[attr="class","qkt-trainer-imgbox"]

[attr="class","qkt-pkmn-img"]

Wild Zangoose [Immunity]: Status
Seviper [Shed Skin]: Status

SP47 Zangoose used metal claw
SP46 used Sludge Wave


Move? vdpUZ7LB1-4 Metal Claw
Crit? 1-16

Sludge wave?
Crit? 1-16 Strength? 1-16

Hit? 1-100
Hit? 1-1001-4·1-16·1-16·1-16·1-100·1-100

[Venominon]

The two natural enemies struck each other with as much power and fury as they could muster, but it looked as though Zangoose had gotten the worst of it. Zangoose wasn't the only Pokemon that had built up a resistance over the years. After being slashed by more Zangoose claws than she cared to remember, Seviper was more than capable of shrugging off the blow that the Cat Ferret Pokemon had dealt her. Zangoose may have been a bit faster than she was, but with a six-level difference between them, Seviper was clearly the stronger of the bitter rivals. "HA! Was that the best you can do, you foul brute?! If so, then it would be smart for you to give up and beg for forgiveness now! Poison may not work on you, but I can still finish you off with one more well-aimed attack!"

As she continued to glare, yell, and hiss at the wild Normal type, Seviper was already building up toxic sludge all around her for one more Sludge Wave attack. However, the order to use it never came. Instead, Venom withdrew a pair of empty Pokeballs from his bag, keeping his snake eyes narrowed on Zangoose through the fog. "Hold on, Seviper. Think about it for a second. We both know that you can defeat this Zangoose with one more attack, but what good would that really do? It's not like losing to one Seviper is gonna make this Zangoose change its ways and start leaving other Sevipers alone. Sooner or later, it'll recover from this battle, and start hunting down wild Sevipers again. The only way to stop its antagonistic behavior for good is to catch it. So, please hold your sludge. You've weakened it enough for that, my friend."

Even in her enraged state, the Fang Snake Pokemon heard her trainer's voice loud and clear, and if she was being honest, he had a good point. So, even though she hated not being able to finish off her age-old foe with her own power, she powered down her Sludge Wave attack and took a deep breath to calm her rage somewhat. "Well...I suppose you're right, darling. Just promise me that you'll never make me fight side-by-side with that vicious monster ever." Even as she spoke to Venom, Seviper never took her eyes off Zangoose for a second, continuing to glare and hiss at it every chance she got. "I can assure you that that will never happen, Seviper. After all, there's no room on Team Toxic for non-Poison type Pokemon." The ninja assured her, then gripped the first Pokeball in his hand, took aim, and threw it as hard as he could at the wild Zangoose through the fog. "Now, go, Pokeball! Get it!"

OOC: Not sure if I need to, but Running Shoes used. Two Pokeballs. No attacks.

[Pixel]

"I would rather DIE than surrender to the likes of YOU," the zangoose snarled. It flexed its powerful claws and bared its teeth. Weak as it was, it wasn't about to just fall down and TAKE IT. It would stand its ground for as long as it could, kicking and clawing and biting until there wasn't a beat left in its chest. There was primitive animosity there in its hyper focused gaze. Its ears laid flat as a little saliva pooled in its mouth. Its heart pounded against its ribs as its fur stood up on end. The zangoose then lunged, clearly out to make that critical blow that would make a meal of the snake, but Venom was faster. He slung a pokeball that smacked the zangoose between the eyes and immediately engulfed it. The ball hit the ground and began to ferociously wiggle. No, it rocked and hopped and lunged. That mongoose fought with every ounce of its strength to break free, but it just couldn't quite manage. Fortunately for it and Venom, the notoriously difficult to catch zangoose would be kept at bay by a single pokeball.

It fell silent. 

Victory.

---

Seviper gained +1000 exp

2724/2107 exp

Grew to LV 27

617/2269 until next level

+1 happiness

Toxel gained +1 LV
Grew to LV 16

---

Fill out form below:
[img src="https://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/bw/zangoose.png"]
[b]Zangoose[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 20
OT: Venominon Ouroboros
Moves: Fury Cutter, Metal Claw, Hone Claws, Slash
Ability: Immunity
Nature/Personality: [choose]


Catch? 44% gIJ|2JgH1-100 Catch in one!

1-100·1-100

[Venominon]

Unfortunately for this Zangoose, and very fortunately for every wild Seviper in the area, its days of terrorizing the serpentine Pokemon had finally come to a close. Venom and Seviper looked on in silence, as the Pokeball containing the Cat Ferret Pokemon was transported to Venom's PC, ending this confrontation with Team Toxic's victory. With that, Seviper took a deep breath, calming herself back down and regaining her composure. "Hmph! Serves you right, you vile, brutish savage." The Fang Snake Pokemon couldn't resist dishing out one more insult to the Normal type, then turned to face her trainer with a query. "So, master darling, what are we going to do with that Zangoose anyway?" In all honesty, Seviper would've been just fine, and quite happy, if Venom had chosen to simply leave that Zangoose in his PC forever and never let it out of the Pokeball that contained it ever again.

However, she knew very well that despite clearly being on the side of Seviper in the age-old feud between the two Pokemon, Venom wasn't that kind of trainer. "We'll find a good trainer to sell or trade it to. Preferably one that doesn't have anything against Poison type Pokemon. Like it or not, Seviper, that Zangoose is every bit as rare and coveted as you are. I'm sure there are plenty of trainers out there who'd love to add such a Pokemon to their teams." As much as Seviper hated to admit it, the ninja was correct, but that didn't stop her from gaining a displeased expression and tone of voice before she opened her mouth up to speak again. "...Oh, very well. If we must. At least that's one less Zangoose left in the wild to cause havoc for my kind. I suppose I can accept that."

Venom smiled at her and couldn't help chuckling at her rather immature mannerisms a little as well, as he grabbed her Great Ball from his bag and pointed it at her. "And I suppose that's good enough for now. You did a fine job here, Seviper. Now, back in your ball." The purple haired Kantonian trainer called the serpentine Pokemon back to her Great Ball, then put it away for the time being. He didn't wish to risk losing any of his Pokemon in the thick fog that continued to shroud route 34, as he continued his search for a wild Bramblin. And that's exactly what Venom went back to doing after that, using his snake eyes to locate the tall grass this route was well known for, and venturing out into it. Hopefully, without that Zangoose around to fright off any and all other wild Pokemon in the area, finding a Bramblin wouldn't be as difficult as it would've been when he first learned of their presence here.

OOC: Just leave the Zangoose's stats blank and send it to Venom's PC for me please. Thanks.

[Pixel]

Venom was quite confident he could find a bramblin, no problem. How hard could it be, even with all this fog? Surely it would clear up soon and everything would be fine. He'd spot the tumbleweed ghost, catch it and everyone would be happy. Right? Right. As he searched, he spotted a blur of brown rustling across the frosty ground. That had to be it! Though if he chased after the brown blur, he would be sorely disappointed. It was not only NOT a bramblin, but a common rat. A big, fat, brown rat that was ripping open a pilfered bag of chips and scattering the remnants of the bag everywhere. It wanted its crispy, sour-cream flavored snack. Crunch crunch.

It didn't appear to notice Venom at all, too interested in its meal.

---

A [LV 20] Raticate appeared!

Rare? qsMdrk481-6 Uncommon 1-3 Common 1-2
Shiny? 1-421-6·1-3·1-2·1-42

[Venominon]

The minute he saw something round and brown in color moving through the fog and tall grass, Venom immediately gave chase, thinking that he had already located the Pokemon he was searching for. Unfortunately, it seemed that the Poison type trainer had been had by the fog. As he approached the Pokemon he had been pursuing, the sounds of some rather loud crunching assaulted his ears. And several seconds later, Venom was finally close enough to see the true identity of the Pokemon in question, letting out a small sigh upon discovering that it was a Raticate. One of the most common Pokemon in the entire world. "Oh well. I doubt there are many Bramblins here anyway. It's likely just a small group of them that escaped from the Paldea Fest or something. Regardless, nothing to do except keep looking."

Venom said to himself, then turned away from the Raticate to leave and continue his search for a Grass/Ghost type Pokemon, not wanting to bother the wild Normal type if he didn't have to. Unfortunately for the Mouse Pokemon, one of Venom's Pokemon had other plans. Just as Venom turned away, one of his Pokeballs opened all on its own, much to the Kantonian trainer's surprise. This was the second time this had happened today, and Venom couldn't help but wonder if maybe he had been too lenient with his Pokemon's training when it came to discipline. This time, the Pokemon that had decided to come out on its own was Croagunk, and he was looking ready for a battle. Staring right at the wild Raticate, the Toxic Mouth Pokemon puffed out his cheeks and cracked his knuckles.

"Sorry, master. But it's been too long since my last battle. Punish me later if ya want, but I'm gonna introduce this Raticate to my knuckles." A true battle junkie, Croagunk sensed his opportunity for a good battle even from inside his Pokeball, and he took it. Then, without even waiting for an order from his trainer, the Poison/Fighting type punched his fists together, conjured up a pair of strong Drain Punch attacks, and charged right at the wild Normal type Pokemon. "What?! Croagunk, wait! There's no need to fight this time!" Venom did his best to reason with his battle-hungry companion, but his attempts fell upon deaf ears, causing the purple-haired trainer to sigh once again, standing there dumbfounded. "...First Seviper, and now Croagunk? I honestly can't understand what I'm doing wrong here."

OOC: Running Shoes used. Two Drain Punches.

[Pixel]

The battlemaster himself would have absolute no problem taking out the raticate.

The raticate was laser focused on its meal, crunching away on the foil and the contents inside. It had its face shoved into the bag when the croagunk came out of the fog and yeeted it with a single punch. Off into the distance the raticate flew! There was an upset chitter and some very choice words that Venom would recognize as pokemon-swears (The one about his mother being a mudbray with a missing tail was new). And after that bodily thump of the rat landing hard in the distance, there was the scramble of paws and claws and the rat fled. 

No contest. No fight.

Just one battle hungry frog and a very confused trainer. Apparently his pokemon were hype for a good fight.

---

Croagunk gained +1000 exp for that swift victory!

2045/2611 to next level

Toxel gained +1 LV from EXP Share

ACC nebL_jX91-100
ACC 1-100

Move? 1-4

1-100·1-100·1-4·1-4

[Venominon]

Although he was still processing the second time today that his Pokemon did what they wanted without an order from him, Venom wasn't the least bit surprised by Croagunk's victory. However, when the Poke-swears reached his ears, the ninja found himself flinching a bit, his eyes growing wide for a brief moment. "Oh my...That Raticate certainly had some acorns on him. I hope no young Pokemon were around to hear that." Venom said to himself, then took a deep breath to help recompose himself before turning to face Croagunk. Although the trainer was calm, the Pokemon just looked dissatisfied and frustrated, puffing out his cheeks and spitting some poison onto the ground before any words left his toxic mouth.

"Tch. Is that seriously the best that the Pokemon around here can do? That didn't even count as a warmup. Master, can we please just go battle Whitney already? I'm getting bored." Hearing this from one of his own Pokemon, Venom brought his right hand to his forehead, pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a small sigh as he slowly shook his head from side to side for a few seconds. "We will battle Whitney when I feel that we're ready, and not before. Now, please go back inside your Pokeball, and I will call on you if the foe looks like more of a challenge. Okay, Croagunk?" The Poison type trainer did his best to be reasonable, not wanting any of his Pokemon to resent him, but also didn't want to just dive headfirst into any battles that he didn't feel that Team Toxic was ready for.

"Hmph! Fine. Whatever." In the end, the Poison/Fighting type let out a huff, folding his arms over his chest before going back inside his Pokeball all on his own. With that, Venom breathed one more sigh, but this time out of relief. "Phew...Seems everyone is starting to grow rather impatient. All the more reason to find a Bramblin or two and get back to training for our gym battle against Whitney as soon as possible. Now, where are you hiding, Bramblin?" Venom asked out loud, turning to face another part of route 34, then heading towards it, eager for another encounter. If only the fog wasn't still drifting about, this would be so much easier.

[Pixel]

Venom wouldn't have to go very long before he'd see another tawny figure in the distance. This one appeared to be moving quickly through the grasses, like a tumbleweed caught on the wind. Surely THIS had to the bramlin. As Venom got closer, and the fog obscured the shape less, it rapidly became obviously that this wasn't the ghost he was looking for. No. It was a big, brown BIRD. That was hunting for dinner. It would flutter up above the shorter grass before diving down to try to pounce something, but whatever it was chasing kept escaping its talons. Too agile. 

<Come back here, tasty> muttered the Pidgeotto as it flapped higher again. Keen eyes searched for a little longer before it looked up. It puffed a bit, feathers flaring. <There aren't enough bugs and rodents to share, so go away!> It wasn't aggressive now, but it was evident that the posturing bird might attack if given a little more provocation.

---

A [LV 20] Pidgeotto emerged from the gloom.

SPOILER: Click to show

Rare? 31gSR34E1-6 Uncommon 1-3 Common 1-2

Shiny? 1-421-6·1-3·1-2·1-42

[Venominon]

Once more, Venom had been deceived by the fog, approaching the latest shape he saw through it, only be disappointed by the discovery of a wild Pidgeotto. Much like the Raticate Croagunk just sent flying, it seemed as though this wild Pokemon only wanted to find some food to eat in peace. However, much like this last two encounters with wild Normal type Pokemon, the ninja instantly raised his guard, expecting one of his Pokemon to pop out of its Pokeball at any moment. Venom never thought he'd ever have to raise his guard around his own Pokemon, but after a full minute of silence, save for the sound of Pidgeotto's wings flapping away, it looked like it wasn't going to happen a third time. "Phew!...I guess it's true what they say. We teach them, and they teach us too. Perhaps I have been slacking off on my own training a bit. I'll have to do something about that the next chance I get."

The Poison type trainer said to himself, mentally planning to do some ninja training later on, but didn't wish to do so with the thick fog still drifting about. After all, ninja training was hard enough without the risk of accidentally hurting any nearby people or Pokemon with any stray shuriken he might be throwing around. And so, Venom offered the Bird Pokemon a single bow, then turned to leave and continue his search for a Bramblin. However, he barely got three steps before another of his Pokeballs suddenly burst open all on its own, as another of Venom's poisonous Pokemon decided to make an appearance without being called upon after all. Coming to a stop and quickly turning his head, Venom brought his right hand to his forehead and let out a heavy sigh. "Urgh...You've gotta be kidding me."

This time around, the Pokemon that had decided to appear unannounced was Koffing, floating in the air at about the same height as Pidgeotto with his usual big smile spread across his face. "Hey there, master! Thought I'd pop out and see how you were doin'! How'd everything with that little girl turn out?! And why is it so foggy out here?! I can barely see a thing! But don't worry! I can handle it!" Shouting out in his usual tone of pure enthusiasm, the Poison Gas Pokemon began to surge with electricity, using his Thunderbolt attack to try and light up the area, throwing off random bolts of lightning in the process. "Woah! Watch it, Koffing! You can't just throw off thunder like that! It's dangerous! Someone's gonna get hurt!" After quickly ducking down to avoid being hit by the Thunderbolts himself, Venom called out to Koffing, attempting to stop him before it was too late. But, as fate would have it, several bolts of lightning were already headed straight for the nearby Pidgeotto.

OOC: Running Shoes used. Just in case. Two Thunderbolt attacks.

[Pixel]

The bird unfluffed a bit when Venom looked like he was about to leave. But it startled again when the koffing burst out of the ball. With annoyance, it tried to blow the koffing away with sharp gusts of wind, but it was zapped by a thunderbolt of its efforts. <Gah! Ow! Pain! Go away! You are not welcome! Shoo! Out!> More indignant squawks followed as its gusting up of wind stirred the dirt and threw it into the air. Now it was foggy and dusty, making it very hard for Koffing to even see, much less AIM.

However, his random thunder cloud approach seemed to work wonders.

Zap zap zap. While most bolts skittered harmlessly around the bird, a second bolt slammed into the pidgeotto and sent it flying away. It wasn't going to put up with being lightning-fried! Not when all it wanted to do was catch a snack to eat. Too much effort to stick around and stand its ground. 

---

Koffing gained +1000 exp

2200/2107 exp

Koffing grew to LV 27

93/2269 EXP to next level
+1 happiness

Toxel gained +1 LV from exp share

Hit? JpUyRUZF1-100
hit? 1-1001-4·1-4

[Venominon]

Even with such little vision and effort, it looked as though Koffing's aim was dead on, as he suddenly felt a rush of energy out of seemingly nowhere. At the same time, Venom couldn't see it with all the fog and dust everywhere, but he definitely recognized the sounds of a Pidgeotto's wings as it flew away. And as soon as the dust from Pidgeotto's Gust attack finally settled, Koffing immediately floated back over to his trainer, smiling big and bursting with even more enthusiasm than earlier. "Woah! I have no idea what happened, but I feel really good right now, master! Can I stay outta my Pokeball for a while?! Pretty please?! I can keep lighting the way for you if you want!" The Poison Gas Pokemon started to generate even more sparks all over his spherical body, preparing to let loose with another Thunderbolt attack.

However, before he got the chance, the ninja quickly grabbed Koffing by his face, gripping it rather tightly, but not so much so that it would cause him any pain. "Very well, Koffing. You can stay out here with me for a while, but don't ever make any moves without my permission first. As long as you can promise me that you won't, then you can stay out here as long as you wish. Understand?" After three encounters with his Pokemon doing as they pleased, Venom had finally had enough, speaking to Koffing in a very stern tone of voice, with a tough and uncompromising expression on his face to go along with it. Seeing this, Koffing flinched a bit, taking a moment to calm himself down, but still managed to keep on smiling. "Well, gee. If that's really what you want, master, then okay. I promise I won't make any moves without your permission. You have my word as a proud Poison type Pokemon."

With that, Venom let go of Koffing's face, nodding at him, and gained a smile of his very own. "Thank you, my friend. Now, let's continue our search for a Bramblin. Hopefully Pidgeotto's Gust didn't blow them too far away." The Poison type trainer continued to hike through the tall grass, searching for any and all traces of a wild Ghost/Grass type in the area. "I'm right behind you, master. But uhhh...what do Bramblins look like?" Koffing floated right alongside Venom, questioning him about the identity of their target in a puzzled tone. "They're round, made of twigs, and they roll around on the ground. So, keep your eyes and ears open for anything that matches that description, Koffing." Venom gave him an answer, and Koffing nodded his entire body in confirmation, doing as Venom told him and keeping his eyes and ears peeled for anything that looked or sounded like a ball of twigs rolling around over the grass.